The “Affordable” City Bike

As sort of a follow-up post to my recent posts regarding my Kogswell and thoughts on bicycle lighting I’d like to highlight a few fairly new and fairly affordable production bikes currently available. Commuter “city” bikes have been making a lasting impression in handbuilt bicycle shows around the country especially in the past few years. The big guys have started to catch on. Something that was almost exclusively available in the custom or aftermarket a few years ago is now becoming a more affordable reality for a lot more people.

A few “racked” bikes that are currently available and I think are worth noting include the Civia Loring, Trek Belleville, and Gary Fisher Simple City. These bicycles boast some really great features at a pretty decent price. Like any good city bike, fenders, racks and a fairly upright riding position is the main theme throughout. While the Civia boasts disk brakes, Trek goes as far as to offer a generator lighting system with their Belleville! Pretty rad I’d say. The price range is pretty big depending upon what you choose. You probably won’t get away with spending any less than $600, and could spend more than twice that depending upon the brand and options. I guess it really depends upon how much time you are planning on spending in the saddle. Are you a weekend joy rider, a hardcore daily commuter, or somewhere in between? Go to your local bike shop, test ride a few bikes before deciding. In the end it’s all about what’s going to fit you best…. which would be a hand built custom bicycle. But, I understand that is more than most can and/or are willing to spend on a bike. Until you take that plunge, take a look at these…